The Great Debate

It''s election season once again at Melbourne University. Exercise your democratic franchise - the one that those of us on the Working Group sat through an endless sequence of three-hour meetings over twelve months to give you - in the North Dining Room of Union House. Then pop outside for a snag and an eardrum rupture (today the Seedy Three, tomorrow who knows?).

Last Tuesday the Political Interest Society sponsored our traditional election debate, reinstated after the Union's year in the wilderness. This season's carnival featured Left Union (broad left coalition), the Liberals ('nuff said), Activate (the local greens), the ALP club (back from oblivion) and the Kung Fu Bandidos (power to the chilli!), not to mention the PIS's own Ken Courtis running as an independent. Of all the major tickets only Fusion failed to show - but seeing as half of them are Libs, it didn't really matter...

For those who don't know me personally I'm the Asian chap moderating, i.e. standing or sitting to one side of the speaker and trying to look important.

The independent candidate speaks his mind

Mister Demiris tells it as it is

The Green Left (otherwise known as Activate) sell their forests policy

The Kung Fu Bandidos' presidential candidate considers his response to a question about the size of his reproductive organs (I'm not kidding)

Sold, to the gentleman in the red t-shirt!

Vote UMSUI!

After a year of toil, tears and sweat (and almost blood, at times), the Student Representation Working Group has delivered a constitution for Melbourne Uni's new representative student body. A plebiscite is running on campus from 22-26 August in which students can aye or naye the incorporation of a new student union (UMSUI) on the basis of this document.

All this has been set out in emails from the Vice Chancellor and the University Secretary, but knowing how many people read their uni email and being a member of the SRWG, I felt obliged to spruik the process here. The constitution's text and a summary of significant changes from the old Union structure, along with polling details, can be found at the University Secretary's website.

On a personal note, the SRWG put in a great deal of work that involved extensive consultation with the student body and relevant stakeholders, all carried out under stringent procedural rules and in the face of substantial difficulties. Our standing orders and minutes of our all-too-numerous meetings can be found here.

We've done our best to iron out the structural and regulatory deficiencies that sunk MUSUI. Furthermore UMSUI has been designed with the prospect of VSU in mind, so whatever position you take on that thorny issue I encourage you to vote 'yes' for our new student union. You won't have to pay for it if you don't want to.

UPDATE 12:00 PM Monday 29/8/05

Referendum carried, 1052 to 188. Elections to follow.